Pleasing to God

On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

 During daily Mass one day last week at the Cathedral, Fr. Van spoke of how beautiful this quote is and how we should strive to please God so we too can hear these words.  He is right.  This needs to be our main focus.  We spend so much time trying to please everyone else, from our spouse, our kids, our boss, our friends, our parents, even ourselves.  But who we really need to strive to please, whose opinion really matters, is not any of the above mentioned, but God our Father.

There are many ways we can please God.  We just need to be more conscientious about it.  Loving our neighbor, caring for the sick and poor, asking forgiveness, spending time in prayer, and following His commandments; these are just some of the ways we can please our Lord.  He is a loving Father who always forgives when we ask and listens when we speak. 

This week, evaluate yourself and whether you are acting in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  If not, ask forgiveness, receive his blessing, and try again.